"Scholar house" redevelopment could jeopardize $6.5 million contact for Human Service Center

Wednesday

Jul 2, 2014 at 4:13 PMJul 2, 2014 at 4:43 PM

The relocation of public housing residents to the former Greeley School and proposed "scholar house" could also require some neighbors in a halfway house just across the street.The 28-bed halfway house run by the Human Service Center is separated from the proposed development site by Evans Street. Since 2012 the building at 1005 NE Jefferson Ave. has served as transitional housing for federal offenders, some of whom are prohibited by state law to reside within 500 feet of a school or park.Proposed zoning changes, including a special use for a school at the first site for Taft Homes redevelopment, could jeopardize the $6.5 million contract the Human Service Center holds with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Laura Nightengale Journal Star healthcare reporter @lauranight

PEORIA -- The relocation of public housing residents to the former Greeley School and proposed "scholar house" could also require some neighbors in a halfway house just across the street.
The 28-bed halfway house run by the Human Service Center is separated from the proposed development site by Evans Street. Since 2012 the building at 1005 NE Jefferson Ave. has served as transitional housing for federal offenders, some of whom are prohibited by state law to reside within 500 feet of a school or park.
Proposed zoning changes, including a special use for a school at the first site for Taft Homes redevelopment, could jeopardize the $6.5 million contract the Human Service Center holds with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
"We were supportive of the project until we learned they were going to provide a day care center in the old Greeley School," said Michael Kennedy, vice president of the Human Service Center.
Federal offenders who plan to reside within 100 miles of Peoria are eligible to serve the final 10 percent of their sentence in the housing with close monitoring and access to services that help them transition to civilian life.
"Our job is to take these individuals, monitor, assist, and get them the things that you and I do every day, jobs, education, access to medical care and housing," Kennedy said.
According to the Illinois sex offender online registry, 11 sex offenders currently list 1005 NE Jefferson Ave. as their address.
If the "scholar house" concept is implemented and a daycare center is created across the street, those offenders would be prohibited from living in such close proximity, which directly conflicts with the "zero-reject" contract that the service center holds.
"They were willing to make provisions that these people who can't be located there would be sent to a different halfway house, so potentially that would allow me to operate for the next three years. The problem is that it's an application every five years," Kennedy said. "That obviously leaves me with some concern because of our investment and we'd like to continue our contract with the bureau of prisons."
Kennedy said that the Human Service Center is supportive of the redevelopment of Taft Homes as many of the customers who seek their services could be eligible for the housing project, but he became actively involved when the concept expanded to include daycare services by making contact with City employees, City County members and the Peoria Housing Authority.
The PHA will hold an informational meeting on the proposed development beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Gateway Building.
Laura Nightengale can be reached at 686-3181 or lnightengale@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @lauranight.